Wool-washing apparatus



. (No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

S. 8u 1. G. DAVIS. Wool. WASHING APPARATUS.

No. 458,315. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

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(No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

S. & 1:". G.ADA`VIS. WOOL WASHING APPARATUS.

No. 458,315. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

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N i i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL DAVIS AND FREDERICK G. DAVIS, OF LAS VEGAS, TERRITORY OF NEV MEXICO.

WOOL-WASHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,315, dated August 25, 1891.

Application filed Marcil 19,1891.

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, SAMUEL DAVIS and FREDERICK G. DAVIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Las Vegas, in the county of San Miguel and Territory of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wool Washing Apparatus; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention has relation to improvements in apparatus for washing wool and the like; and it has for its objects, among other things, first, to provide a construction of apparatus whereby the wool may be conveniently handled and thoroughly cleansed, and, secondly, to provide a construction whereby after each immersion of the wool in the water-tanks it will be subjected to a pressure and the dirty water pressed out of the same, the said pressure being governed by regulating devices, so as to perform its functions without in any manner injuring the wool.

IVith these and other ends in .view our irnprovements will be fully understood from the following description and claims,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis aside elevation of our improvements with parts in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same with parts in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cleansing apparatus minus the pressure devices. Fig. 4 is a planview of the open-work bottom of the wool receptacles or plungers; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the pressure-plate, illustrating the valve-gates thereon to a better advantage.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, in l which corresponding letters indicate similar parts throughout the several views, A indicates the stationary water-tanks, of which A two are preferably employed, arranged at a proportional distance apart approximately,

. as illustrated. These watertanks A, which are preferably of a rectangular form and are y open at their tops, are provided with a discharge-opening to discharge-water pipes, and l in order to keep the water at aproper telnperature for washing wool we provide steam- Serial No. 385,603. (No model.)

' pipes B around the inside of the tanks; but

it is obvious that, if desirable, a steam-jacket or other means of heating the water in the tanks might be employed in lieuof the pipes. 5 5 lVithin the tanks A,at a proper distance' above the bottom thereof, is a perforated or open-work false bottom C, through which the sedimentfrom the wool sifts and is prevented from again mingling with the water.v

Journaledin suitable bearings upon a standardframe situated between the stationary tanks A is a transverse rocking shaft D, upon which is keyed or fixed at a suitable distance apart two rocking beams E, which are of a length corresponding approximately to the distance between the stationary tanks and are designed to be operated, as will be presently described.

Pivotally connected to the ends of the 7o rocking levers E and depending therefrom are bail-bars F, which have their lower ends pivotally connected in a suitable manner to opposite side walls of the plunging wool receptacles or cages G, which are designed to be alternately immersedin their respective tanks by the rocking of the beams E, as will be presently set forth. These wool receptacles or plungers G are of a form corresponding to that of the tanks A, inwhich they are de- 8o designed to plunge, and they are open at their upper side, as shown, to receive a weighted pressure device, presently to be described.

The side walls of the rectangular receptacles G are perforated, as illustrated, to allow a free circulation of the water through the wool when the receptacle is immersed, and one of the side walls is provided with a hinged section H, which maybe connected at 9o its upper end to the main portion of the receptacle by hooks or other devices, and by this construction it will be seen that when it is desired to remove the wool from the receptacle the said hinged section H-is let down and rests upon the edge of the tank A, when it will serve as an apron for the wool, which may be thus readily removed.

The bottom of the receptacles G, as better illustrated in Fig. 4.- of the drawings, is pref- Ioo erably formed of open wire-work, and is situf ated in the receptacle at about the distance illustrated above the lower edges of the side walls thereof, and by this construction it will be seen that the lower edges of the side walls serve to cut the water and prevent a splashing thereof when the receptacles G are plunged into the tanks.

Arranged transversely of the receptacles G, and at suitable distances apart are two strips J, of suitable material, which are set edgewise and have their ends connected to the side walls of the tank. These strips J, while serving to strengthen the bottom I, also serve, in conjunction with the lower edges of the side walls to prevent a splashing of the water, as has been described.

Journaled in suitable bearings upon a standard-frame and in a plane above or below the shaft D is a transverse shaft K, which carries adjacent to its ends two flywheels L, which are connected by levers M and Nto the said shaft D and serve to impart a rocking motion thereto and to the levers or beams E, whereby the receptacles or plungers G will be caused to alternately plunge into the tanks A.

l? indicates pressure-plates, which are of a form and size to enable them to enter the receptacles G. These pressure-plates,which are preferably formed of iron or other heavy Inaterial, are provided, as illustrated, with vertically disposed openings, which are closed when desired by valve-gates Q, which are pivotally connected to the upper side of the plate. Thus it will be seen that in operation the water may be allowed to come up through the openings in the plate or made to seek pas- Sage through the perforations in the side walls and bottom of the plunging receptacles at each stroke or plunge thereof.

Connected in a suitable manner to the four corners of plate P are chains R, which have their ends connected in a suitable manner to the lower ends of vertically-disposed rackbars S, of about the proportional length Shown, which are guided in the transverse bar T of a hanger-frame. The hangers U, to which the horizontal .bar T is connected, depend from a ceiling or frame, to which they are connected above the respective tanks A. Journaled in the hangers U adjacent to their lower ends is a transverse shaft V, which has keyed to its respective ends crank arms and handles W, which serve to turn the same toY adj ust the vertical rack-bars and the weighted pressure-plates, through the medium of pinions X, keyed on said shaft in line with the rack-bars and adaptedto engage the teeth thereof. Fixed on the shaft V, outside the hangers U, are ratchet-wheels Y, which are adapted to be engaged by pawls Z, pivotally connected to the hangers, whereby the rackbars may be locked in their adjusted positions. By this constructian it will be seen that the weighted pressure-plates may be adjusted so as to exert a great or slight pressure upon the wool in the receptacles or plungers G, and thatwhen no pressure is desired they may be adjusted up out of the way of the plunging wool-receptacles.

In operation the requisite amount of water is placed in the tanks A and is heated to the desired temperature, as described, and the receptacles G are charged with wool according to their capacity. The pressure-plates are then adjusted with respect to the receptacles through the medium of the devices set forth. The shaft K is then set in motion and driven by any suitable power, when motion will be imparted to the shaft D, and the rocking beams E and the respective receptacles G willbe caused to alternately plunge into the tanks. Thus it will be seen that the wool is subjected first to a cleansing process, the water being caused to freely circulate therethrough bythe plunging, and is then subjected to pressure, which causes the dirty water and a quantity of dirt to leave the wool.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a wool-washing apparatus, a wool-receptacle comprising open-work sides, one of which is provided with a hinged section,- an open-work bottom situated above the lower edges of the sides, and strips set edgewise beneath said bottom, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a wool-washing apparatus, the combination, with a stationary water-tank, a rocking beam j ournaled on a standard adjacent to said tank, and an open-work receptacle for the wool connected to the end of said beam and adapted to be immersed in the tank, of a pressure-plate adapted to be adjustably fixed with respect to the wool-receptacle to operate in conjunction therewith, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a wool-cleansing apparatus, the combination, with a stationary water-tank, a rocking beam journaled on a standard adjacent to said tank, and an open-work receptacle for the wool connected to the end of said beam and adapted to be immersed in the tank, of a pressure-plate having vertical perforations and valve-gates adapted to close said perforations, an upright rack-bar connected to said plate, and a pinion adapted to ladj ust the rack-bar vertically, substantially as and for the purpose described.

et. In a wool-washing apparatus, the combination, with a water-receptacle, of avertically-movable wool-receptacle arranged therein and a pressure-plate arranged in the wool-receptacle in an adj ustably-iixed manner, substantially as specified.

5. In a wool-washing apparatus, the combination, with two stationary tanks, of the openwork wool-receptacle adapted to be immersed in said tanks, the rocking beams fixed on a transverse shaft and connected at their ends to the said receptacle, the transverse shaft carrying the rocking beams journaled on a IIO standardinterxnediate ofthe stationary tanks, a transverse shaft j ournaled on the standard and carrying fly-Wheels adjacent to its ends, the levers connecting said fly-wheels with the shaft carrying the roeking beams, and a suitable means for actuating the shaft carrying Y the fly-Wheels, substantially as'and for the vpurpose described.

6. The combination, with a plunging Woolreeeptaele, of the pressure-plate connected to a Vertioal1y-disposed rack-bar, a pinion-shaft adapted to engage and adjust said rack-bar, 

